July
30, 2004 — NOAA supported researchers
have successfully showcased one of the values of an integrated ocean observing
system. Using observations made from ship-board sensors, satellites and
buoys in the Gulf of Maine, scientists were able to predict where and
when a toxic algae bloom would wash ashore earlier this summer. This harmful
algal bloom, or HAB, forecasting demonstration gave state of Maine
officials an early warning of the approaching bloom. High toxin levels
in shellfish recorded by the state monitoring program helped confirm the
prediction. Affected shellfish beds in Casco Bay were closed to public
harvest to ensure the seafood poisoned by the toxic bloom did not become
a public health threat. (Click NOAA image for larger view of major
harmful algal bloom-related events across the coastal United States. Click
here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit
“NOAA.”)

"The
development of regional operational forecasts of toxic marine algal species
that cause severe illness and even death in humans will be one of the
significant public health and safety benefits from an integrated ocean
observing system," said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary for commerce for oceans and atmosphere
and NOAA administrator. "This breakthrough highlights NOAA's leading
role in developing integrated systems that address the national threats
to our health and our economy caused by harmful algal blooms."

NOAA supported
researchers utilized state-of-the-art molecular identification techniques
to locate and map a patch of the poisonous algae. Simultaneously, observations
of winds, currents and other ocean condition data received from buoys,
some of which are part of the developing Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing
System (GOMOOS), fed a computer model
designed to forecast where the water containing the toxic algae patch
was headed. Partner institutions include Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute,
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Dartmouth College and the NOAA
Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

This forecast
was created in much the same way that weather models are used to predict
the movement of storms. When the model predicted that toxic algae was
moving toward the Maine coast, researchers proactively alerted state officials
who later confirmed the presence of the algae and closed shellfish beds
for harvesting in and around Casco Bay.

The microscopic
"red tide" algae, Alexandrium,
and its toxin have long plagued New England waters and states have responded
with effective, but costly, monitoring programs. A decade of NOAA investment
in the Gulf of Maine to understand the ecology and oceanography of the
region and to develop new HAB sensing technologies is now bearing fruit.
Having advance warning of impending toxic blooms could improve the efficiency
of state programs needed to protect seafood safety and public health.

"In
successfully combining three elements—sensitive HAB identification,
a sound tracking model and accurate location forecasting—the team
has demonstrated the ability to alert coastal communities to HAB events
so that they can implement protective measures," said Richard
Spinrad, assistant administrator of the NOAA
Ocean Service which sponsored the research through its National
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science office.

"Operational
experience takes time to put together," said research team leader
Dennis McGillicuddy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "It's
the payoff from a decade of outstanding scientific work toward meeting
this goal and one that offers great promise for coastal communities for
decades to come," he said.

HABs occur
in waters of almost every U.S. coastal state, and data suggests that they
are increasing in frequency. HABs can damage the health of people and
kill marine organisms. HABs also impact economies. Over the last several
decades, HABs have caused more than $1 billion in economic losses in the
U.S. They have forced valuable shellfish beds and coastal fisheries to
close, affected tourism and service industry revenues, and caused public
illnesses.

The NOAA
Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB)
program and its Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms
(MERHAB)
effort are cooperating with regional observing systems to develop new
sensing technologies and put early warning systems in place to help coastal
managers better plan for and reduce impacts of HABs.

NOAA is currently
testing HAB forecasting systems for Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the
Pacific Northwest and recently issued its second annual "Dead Zone"
forecast for the Gulf of Mexico. These ongoing and future plans include
automation and installation of detection methods on buoys as part of a
greater NOAA emphasis on efforts to refine and make operational ecological
forecasts along our nation's coasts.

NOAA is dedicated
to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction
and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental
stewardship of the nationís coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part
of the U.S. Department of Commerce.